Saturday Night Live’s Colin Jost took aim at ’s Oscars ban, joking that it isn’t much of a ‘punishment’.
It was announced that the King Richard actor had , including the Oscars ceremony, for the next 10 years after he slapped comedian on stage.
Following the announcement, Ricky Gervais and were among .
Discussing the decision on SNL, during the Weekend Update segment, Colin questioned whether it actually served as a ‘punishment’.
‘As punishment for slapping Chris Rock, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has banned Will Smith from attending the Oscars for 10 years,’ he said.
‘But is that a punishment? He can still be nominated. He can even win an award. He can even go to the after-party.
‘He just doesn’t have to attend the four-hour ceremony where someone is definitely going to make fun of his wife again.’
‘Honestly, I think a real punishment would be to make Will Smith host next year’s Oscars,’ he added.
‘Because, trust me, nothing will make you question your choices in life more than hosting an awards show.’
In shocking scenes during last month’s ceremony, after the comedian made a reference to Jada Pinkett Smith’s buzzcut.
The Fresh Prince star, who collected his best actor award shortly after, apologised for his actions in a public statement, and.
Organisers launched an investigation into the incident, and shared their findings in a fast-tracked hearing on Friday.
Academy president David Rubin announced the news in an open letter, describing Will’s actions as ‘unacceptable and harmful’.
He said: ‘The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behaviour we saw Mr Smith exhibit on stage.
‘During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented.
‘Today, the Board of Governors convened a meeting to discuss how best to respond to Will Smith’s actions at the Oscars, in addition to accepting his resignation. The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards.
‘We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast.
‘This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith’s behaviour is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy. We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted.’
Will is able to keep his best actor Oscar and will be eligible for nominations and awards in the future.
